Your Comments: We need high-speed rail to NYC, Boston -- not Buffalo!

View full sizeDavid Lassman / The Post-Standard, 2001A man watches television news at the Regional Transportation Center in this photo from 2001.

Syracuse today won an $18 million federal grant to expand the city’s passenger rail station and improve tracks and signals for a planned high-speed rail line across Upstate New York. Most of the money will be used to expand the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, off Park Street in Syracuse.

Reaction among syracuse.com users were mixed, with some people applauding the use of money and others saying they don't think they will see high-speed rail. Here's what user claymer has to say:

"I do not believe high speed rail service, any speed above the 70 mph average now will ever happen. If they do try to build it, what is the demand for this type of service between Albany and Buffalo? Has there been a study done to find out who would use it? Would there ever be a reasonable pay back period? What we really need is a high speed rail service to NY City, to Boston, to Washington and to Florida anywhere from NY State!

"This is going to be just another waste of taxpayer money. Yes, some minor upgrades to the current service to avoid freight trains would be nice, but still no real return on our investment. All we'll do is save college students about an hour or so in time traveling. No real big deal here!"